What a great weekend...

What an amazing weekend! I just came back from the Karme Choling meditation center in Barnet, VT. I'd like to say that my head was turned around, upside down, etc...Bu that's not what the weekend was about. For those who don't know, they teach 'Shambala' training ther, which is the way of the Warrior. It's not a matter of being fierce, but rather to have the courage and bravery of a warrior in order to face yourself and all that you are, and realize that this is the body and mind with which to reestablish an enlightened state. It is so simple, that it seems too simple. As a novice, I know that more difficult paths lie ahead, but only if I make them difficult. I am learning how to be mindful (thanks Rex, you sly blogger...), and to breathe. The point is not to empty your mind, but rather to allow the thought to arise, notice them, and come back to the outbreath and let the thought go. Bill Brauer referred to this as 'touch and go'. Say hello/goodbye to your thoughts and breathe, coming back to the outbreath. That allows the confused mind to clear. He used a metaphor of a glass of water and a pinch of dirt dropped into it. It becomes muddied, and the confused mind stirs it up, or uses the spoon to try and stop the swirling. The trick is to remove the spoon altogether and just let the dirt settle on its own, then the glass becomes clear.

It's not hard, but it requires a certain lack of effort to achieve this goal. It's also enough to try. If you are trying, then you are meditating.

"How did the Boddhisatva reach Nirvana?"

"Practice, practice, practice."

I guess my head was turned around...

...only gently.


Johnnyboy